


A Christmas Moment

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Thicker than Water [80]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Family, Holidays, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-19
Updated: 2012-12-19
Packaged: 2017-11-21 13:53:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/598489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Be careful…I don’t want your head growing too big.  You might tip over.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Christmas Moment

**Author's Note:**

> This story is written in the Thicker than Water universe where the BAU are kids and teens.

Emily, Zoë, and Spencer walked into Capital Hill Books on a snowy Sunday afternoon. The temperature was a bit too warm in there. As usual it felt crowded but it was with books and not people. Customers mulled around but books were the real stars. They were everywhere; Emily saw Spencer’s eyes widen behind his glasses as soon as they came in.

“Wow.” He exhaled.

“Lets loosen your coat and scarf.” Emily said, unzipping his blue bubble jacket some. She took off his hood and hat, telling him to put them in his pocket.

“Can I look around Emily?”

She couldn’t help but smile at his breathless happiness. Spencer Reid loved books; everyone knew that. It looked as if he’d found his heaven.

“You can look around. Don’t talk to strangers and if anyone bothers you then you scream, OK?”

“I don’t think I need to do that.” Spencer said. “Its not a library but screaming probably isn’t appropriate.”

“Appropriate doesn’t matter to me right now.” Emily shook her head. “Spencer, I would never scare you but you know that sometimes adults take kids for bad reasons.”

“I know.” He nodded.

“So please just scream if something seems off.”

“OK, I will Emily; I promise.”

Emily watched as he walked off. Just recently two children had disappeared in DC. Of course those were just the two that made the evening news. The police were concerned that the cases might be connected. They worried a serial kidnapper might be operating in the District. As if kids weren't always running around, they were in abundance during the holidays. The little boy on the news the other night looked too much like Spencer for her liking.

“Can I help you?” a smiling young woman came over to the register.

“Hi, I'm coming to check on a book I ordered a few weeks ago.” Emily said.

“Did someone call you about a pickup?”

“Actually no. I didn’t leave my number because I didn’t want my boyfriend to find out.”

“What's your name and purchase number?”

“Emily Prentiss; the number is 22961.”

Emily and Zoë leaned against the counter while she typed in a bunch of information.

“Did you order _The Sorrows of Young Werther_ by Goethe, a second edition in English?”

“Yes.” Emily nodded.

“Its here; I’ll go in the back and get it.”

“Thank you.”

Emily looked around as she walked away.

“Did they tell you how much the book would be?” Zoë asked.

“No, but that’s surely because I wouldn’t have wanted it. I asked Uncle Dave for $300 and hope it covers the book and the watch.”

“Jason’s going to be mad that you spent that kind of money.”

“He won't be if he doesn’t know. You plan on telling him?”

“No.” Zoë shook her head and laughed.

“Emily, Emily, can I get this?” Spencer ran up waving a book. “I have twenty of my own dollars.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a Latin version of _I, Claudius_. Please, can I get it? Jason and I can translate it together over the Christmas break and find all the glaring errors.”

Emily couldn’t help but smile at the pure joy on Spencer’s face. She knew the two boys pretty well and they would do just that. They would translate and correct all day. It would bring them such pleasure.

“How much is it?” she asked.

“$35…I have $20 of my own.”

“Keep your money Spencer; put it back in your pocket. This will be one of your Christmas presents OK?”

“OK, are you sure?” he asked.

“I'm sure.” Emily nodded, taking the book from his hands.

The salesperson came from the back room with her book. She pulled a piece of white paper from the pages and typed something into the computer.

“It's $170.” She said.

“I’d like to buy this one as well.” Emily put _I, Claudius_ on the counter.

“Your total is $205.”

Emily took the money from her purse and paid for the purchase. She let Spencer carry the bag when they all left the store together. He held Emily’s hand walking down the street.

“You can't have that gift until Christmas, OK Spencer?”

“I understand. Where are we going now?”

“We’re going to drive out to the Chevy Chase Mall. Do you want us to drop you off or are you coming with?”

“You don’t mind if I come to the mall too, do you Zoë?”

“I don’t mind at all.” Zoë smiled. “Why would I?”

“I just don’t want to interrupt talk of boys and possibly sexual relations. Recent studies show that between the ages of 16 to 20, up to 62% of conversations amongst female friends revolve around these subjects. A boy of eleven could hinder that significantly.”

“Oh my God, you are so cute.” Zoë said.

“I am?”

“Yes you really are.” The redhead nodded. “Today you'll get a real study in girls between 16 and 20. It should be a very interesting conversation for later.”

“Should I write it all down?” the little boy asked. He was serious.

“I thought you remembered stuff, Spencer.”

“Well, my eidetic memory does pertain to visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory information in recalling an event. But this is a big deal…I want to remember everything. I don’t want any outside factors clouding the facts. I've got a notebook and a pencil in my backpack. I always keep it in case something big happens.”

Emily and Zoë both laughed. It was a pleasant sound; Spencer knew from experience that they weren't laughing at him. Anyway, Emily would never do that because she loved him. When she kissed his cheek at the red light he knew for sure. Not that there was ever any room for him to doubt.

***

“What are you watching?” Jason asked walking in the den. It wasn’t really late but the kids were in bed. Morgan was hanging out in his room probably playing video games. Hotch and Megan were in his room; Jason didn’t want to think about what they were doing.

“Would I sound crazy if I said I had no idea? The commercial came on and I completely forgot.”

“It sounds a little crazy.”

“I'm just in full lazy mode right now, which I have to say is quite well deserved.” Emily said. “Wanna be lazy with me?”

“Do you really have to ask?”

“Then why are you standing so far away, Jason Gideon?”

Emily opened her arms and it took all Jason had not to just fall into them. He climbed onto the couch where the couple spooned. Their couch was awesome. It was a long sectional that was also wide. Many great naps and late nights had been spent there. Jason was grateful for another with his favorite girl in the world.

“Spencer had a lot of fun with you and Zoë this afternoon.” he said. Luckily Emily’s hair was up; there was nothing to hinder kissing the nape of her neck.

“Oh my God, we had a blast with him. Jason, how come I never noticed that Spencer is so funny. I mean we’ve laughed together before but he just kept us in stitches today. It was great. Even better than that, I got all my shopping done. Oh right, Jaclyn Smith is married to Michael Ontkean.”

“What?”

“I'm talking about the movie on TV. They’re a couple, living in Hollywood, but he’s a total cheating bum. I think they just broke up for the second time but they’re going to get back together. They have four kids and deep down she really loves him and knows he loves her. Of course he’s not a bad guy just because he can't keep it in his pants. He’s all misunderstood…and stuff. I don’t even get it; she’s totally carrying this tool.”

“Clearly you have no sympathy for Michael Ontkean.” Jason said.

“Clearly.” Emily turned to look back at him smiling. “ _Family Album_ ; I think its called Family Album. Whatever, I don’t even know what time it is…it probably doesn’t matter what its called.”

“Spencer told me you guys were at Capital Hill Books today and it was the greatest place ever.”

“No comment on where we were.” 

“So you were buying my Christmas gift?” Jason asked.

“No comment on what we were doing.”

“I'm not going to ask what you bought me; I promise.”

“Good, because I wasn’t going to tell you. You should kiss my neck again though; that was nice.”

“You like that?” 

“Mmm hmm.” Emily nodded. “I like that a lot.”

She giggled as Jason nuzzled her neck. She reached back, caressing his face. Jason turned and kissed the palm of her hand.

“What did you get me? I hope I don’t like it.” she asked, quoting _The Thin Man_.

“Oh you're going to love it. I have to admit I'm really good at buying gifts for you.”

“Just a couple of weeks ago you acted as if you had no idea.”

“I got smarter.” Jason replied.

“Be careful…I don’t want your head growing too big. You might tip over.”

Jason laughed and asked Emily to turn around. She did, wrapping her arms around his neck and her leg around him. He kissed her nose. Then he kissed her mouth. Emily moaned as Jason pulled her even closer to him.

“I love you, Emily Prentiss.”

“I love you too. I can't wait to see your face on Christmas Day.”

“Seeing your face everyday brings me joy.” He whispered, pressing his forehead on hers.

“You really know how to make me swoon.”

“Swoon away; I'm holding on to you and I'm not letting go.”

***


End file.
